adamsandel

This beautifully crafted film was unfortunately buried in an extremely limited release at the time, but it deserves to be viewed and celebrated.

The story, which could have been written by William Faulkner, follows the travels and coming of age of an orphan in the post Civil War era.

Played beautifully by the pre-teen Edward Albert, long before his star-making role in "Butterflies Are Free," George is a young hero who demands the viewer's attention and sympathy in every scene.

Anthony Perkins leads the strong supporting cast as the Civil War veteran suffering from PTSD, who may or may not be dangerous, who develops a strong bond with the boy.

The film may have suffered from its lack of a clear cut sense of good and bad or right and wrong, but it is certain to resonate with viewers who appreciate the subtleties of good literature.

You may have enjoyed Rudy Mancuso's YouTube and Awkward Puppets videos, but nothing prepares you for his breezy, endlessly playful and inventive feature film directing and co-writing debut.

The apparently autobiographical plot is a simple coming of age romantic comedy, but Mancuso peppers the film with rhythm, music, and delightful sight gags that tweak film conventions and keep the story tripping along in a seemingly effortless way.

Bonus points for terrific romantic chemistry between the two leads, pitch perfect pacing and casting across the board, wonderful use of color, and the feature film debut that Diego the puppet deserves!

This beautifully directed psychological thriller does not fit neatly into predefined genre boxes - which may frustrate some reviewers - but that may be its greatest strength.

The intensely committed performances, writing, and direction grab and hold the viewer's attention throughout the film's taut 90 minute running time - and its unsettling themes and images linger long after the film has ended.

Two days after watching Mother, May I?, I'm still wondering if it's a tale of ghostly possession, the imaginative reflection of damaged psyches, or a disturbing portrait of a toxic codependent relationship. It very well may be all three.

It takes a great deal of courage on the part of the filmmakers to let those questions hover around the viewer - in an industry which demands that all characters be relatable and all questions be ultimately answered.